Auto body repair & detailing: Paint Restoration, paint restoration, minor chips

Question
Notto,

I recently purchased a 10 year old mercedes. It appears that the car has never been waxed since leaving the factory....and there are imperfections and stains everywhere. I know the base coat is OK apart from minor chips. I can probably work with the clear coat also.

What can I do to properly clean the paint?

What's the best way to get the car looking good again?

Answer
Mike,
I've started answering this question several times, but never finished because it's such a long process to explain in an email.  Like emailing someone on how to paint a house, there's a lot involved.  The bottom line is this.  A professional buffer/polisher would be required and several hours of work.  Your best bet is to go to the Meguiar's website http://www.meguiars.com/ and look up an answer to this, since their products are available most everywhere.  I have several commercial lines I use that aren't available to the public and explaining how I do this process would be of no help.  You basically need a medium cut compound and buff the car out, then use a fine cut, then again with a polish/wax.  For a couple hundred dollars, a good detail shop will do a fine job for you.  
Take care,
Notto